ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts covered in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book describes how the neurosciences can enhance the intergenerational transfer of knowledge and support educational achievement. It provides an overview of the dose–response relationship between physical activity and educational achievement in children from experimental studies, specifically examining the educational effects of both acute exercise bouts and regular physical activity by varying doses of time, intensity and type of activity. The book discusses the several ways in which physical activity stimulates brain processes, and particularly how it can induce a cascade of molecular and cellular processes that support brain plasticity. The book also discusses an elegant approach to assessing the interdependence of motor and cognitive function that comes from cognitive–motor interference research using dual-task conditions. It then explains the link between exercise and cognitive functioning in children and adolescents, considering the effects of different kinds of exercise on cognition.
